Govinda connection in ‘Shikhar’

The final release of 2005, SHIKHAR, has failed to connect with moviegoers and various versions, explanations and theories are doing the rounds of the industry. But John M. Matthan, the man behind this Ajay Devgan-Shahid Kapoor starrer, has come up with his own reasons for the non-response to the film. And the reasons are entirely different from those attributed by the know-alls.

Over to Matthan:

“I haven’t completely written off the film yet. I am hoping that it might pick up with word of mouth publicity in days to come. But I’d like to admit that I fell short of funds when it came to promoting the film during the final days. The promotion costs have roughly shot up to Rs. 2 crores and if I had that kind of money on hand, it would’ve ensured a heady start for the film thanks to the aggressive promotion I would’ve otherwise opted for.

“When I started writing SHIKHAR, the movie-going experience was entirely different then. There weren’t multiplexes at that point of time, but when I eventually started filming, multiplexes had sprung up all over the country. With multiplexes coming in, a sizable section of moviegoers was created gradually. Had I kept the multiplex audience in mind while writing the script, the business prospects would’ve been different.

“On hindsight, I think the goings-on became a bit too serious in the latter half of the film. Initially, when I wrote the script, I wanted to balance the serious issue with light moments. In fact, I was keen to cast Govinda in the role that Ajay Devgan eventually portrayed in the film. But I changed my mind when I shot an ad film with him.

“His [Govinda] sense of timing was perfect, but I didn’t agree to his latecoming attitude. That put me off and I decided to approach Ajay. Though Ajay gave his best to the film, his image of a serious guy and the way the role developed subsequently gave the film a serious look.”